1. Field of the invention
The present invention generally relates to fisherman's pliers and, in particular, to fisherman's pliers adapted to open and close fishing snap swivels.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In many fishing applications, fishermen use snap swivels which are tied to the fishing line at one end of the swivel. The snap swivel can be opened by applying pressure to and by bending the pin of the swivel until it extends outside of the clasp. The pin is then twisted to either the right or the left until it is positioned to the right or the left of the open end of the clasp. The pin is released and the swivel is open. Due to the resilience of the pin, sufficient space is created between the pin and the clasp upon its release so that fishing line can be placed in the swivel.
A fishing leader, hook, weight, sinker, float, bobber, artificial bait, or other fishing tackle can then be attached to the snap swivel by placing the looped end of fishing line at the end of the leader or the looped end of a hook, sinker, artificial bait or other tackle over the opened pin of the swivel. The swivel is closed by applying pressure to the opened pin until it extends beyond the opening of the clasp and then by twisting it to either the right or the left until it is positioned opposite the open end of the clasp. Pressure on the bent pin is released and the pin springs into position in the clasp, closing the swivel.
One method of opening and closing a fishing snap swivel is by pressing the pin of the swivel between one's fingers until it extends beyond the open end of the clasp. The pin is then twisted to one side with the fingers and released. Since the pin of the swivel is generally stiff in order to provide sufficient resilience for return to the clasp when closing the swivel, this method can cause damage to the fingernails and bruises to the fingers. It is easy to cause damage to the snap swivel by applying excessive force with the fingers to the pin, causing it to lose resilience and to fail to return completely to the clasp. It is an object and advantage of the present invention to provide a means of opening and closing the snap swivel without injuring the fingernails and fingers while avoiding damage to the swivel.
Another method of opening and closing a fishing snap swivel is to place the swivel between the jaws of a pair of fisherman's pliers, needlenose pliers, curved nose pliers, blunt nose pliers, bent nose pliers or other multiple use pliers, and by applying pressure to the pin of the swivel by partially closing the jaws. The pin is then twisted to one side and released from the partially closed jaws. A disadvantage of this method of opening and closing the swivel is the difficulty in applying sufficient pressure to the pin in order to force it outside of the clasp of the swivel while, at the same time, avoiding excessive pressure to the pin which can easily result in overextension and damage to the swivel. Overextension of the pin causes it to lose resilience and to fail to return completely inside of the pin when attempting to close the snap swivel. An advantage of the present invention is the avoidance of overextension and damage to the pin of the swivel.
Use of adjustable vise grip pliers or quick releasable vice-grip pliers requires a very precise adjustment of the degree of closure of the jaws in order to cause sufficient extension of the swivel pin without causing damage to a specific size snap swivel. A change in the adjustment is necessary each time a different size snap swivel is opened or closed. This is a disadvantage because of the tedious and precise adjustment which must be made every time a different size of swivel is used for changing fishing conditions. This tedious adjustment is especially difficult to make when a fisherman, who may be in a rocking boat, is in a hurry to adjust his fishing tackle in the presence of larger or smaller fish. The present invention has the advantage of not requiring an adjustment to the pliers in order to effectively and quickly open snap swivels of varying sizes. The present invention can open and close regular snap swivels and interlock snap swivels.
When the snap swivel is twisted in order to move the pin to the side of the clasp for opening or closing of the swivel or to move the pin directly opposite the opening of the clasp, the swivel tends to easily slip from the fingers or from the jaws of pliers. A further object of the present invention is to hold and secure the snap swivel while twisting the swivel for opening and closing.
The elderly, children and persons with impaired vision especially find it difficult to see and focus on a frequently tiny pin of a snap swivel in order to quickly change their fishing tackle during the excitement resulting from nearby fish. It is an object of the present invention to provide a fisherman's pliers that can quickly open and close the swivel requiring minimal concentration.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,796,318 to Bigej, issued on Jan. 10, 1989, discloses a pair of fisherman's pliers for connecting a lead fishing weight to a fishing line which comprises a pair of pliers with a pair of handles pivotally connected to a pair of elongated and tapered jaws. A wedge is provided for impressing a notch into one end of an elongated piece of lead. The jaws are also provided with depressions for receiving a spherical piece of lead for crimping lead onto a fishing line. The present invention discloses a pair of fisherman's pliers that effectively open and close snap swivels without causing damage to the swivel. The present invention has the further advantage of opening and closing fishing swivels of various sizes, quickly and easily.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,207,012 to Lael, issued on Sep. 2, 1992, discloses a pair of cross jaw pliers with handles for storing and dispensing split shot sinkers and having a recess for seating and retaining a split shot sinker and crimping it on a fishing line. It is an object of the present invention to provide a pair of fisherman's pliers with jaws which receive, open and close a snap swivel.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,889,022 to Peviani, issued on Dec. 26, 1989, discloses a quick releasable vice-grip pliers with an adjustable toggle link releasable by a thumb operable release lever. The pliers provide adjusted engagement of opposed jaws. The present invention has the advantage of not requiring adjustment in order to quickly open and close fishing snap swivels of varying sizes.
Split ring pliers, crimping tools and clamping tools do not provide a means of opening and closing snap swivels with jaws of pliers that have precisely measured depths of grooves specific to the sizes of swivels which enables a fisherman to quickly open and close a snap swivel while effectively avoiding damage to the swivel.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a pair of fisherman's pliers adapted to opening and closing a snap swivel that is easy to manufacture and economical. Still further objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the ensuing description and drawings.